Burning in the Night
by PsychologicalPuzzle
Summary: One night, Ace's house started burning. Things just went downhill from there, right up to the point when they hit rock bottom. Marco could only stand by and watch as Ace's carefully constructed world collapsed around him.
1. Devoured by Fire

_**Yo! Just got my account a few minutes ago. Well, my second account. This one is solely for my MarcoxAce obsession. I think... Well, that's the plan, anyway. So... I hope you like MarcoxAce, because you're gonna be getting a helluva lot of it from me. I am open to advice, but no haters and flamers please.**_

_**This is a short chapter. The next ones are going to be longer (probably), but I'm not sure when they're gonna be up, 'cuz school takes up a lotta my time, and during the week I live in a dorm, where I can't really write, because three other girls live with me and it's hard to concentrate with so many other people 'round. Anyway, enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I-I... *takes deep breath* I own nothing! There. Said it.**_

* * *

The building burned, lighting up the night sky for miles around. Ace watched, mesmerized, as his house, as every single thing around him was swallowed up by the flames. The tongues licked at every single piece of wood and fabric they could find.

"Ace!"

Someone was shouting his name. Ace didn't look. He couldn't turn away. He could only watch the fire devour his home.

"Ace!"

It was that voice again. Closer this time, though. Ace kept staring at the flames that were growing with each second that passed.

"Ace!"

Someone grabbed his shoulder. Ace jerked it away from the newcomer's grip, before turning to look at him with wide eyes.

"Get up, yoi! We have to get out of here," the blonde yelled.

But Ace was numb. He couldn't move. Everything was falling apart. The part of the kitchen he could see was charred. Photographs of his family, of Luffy, _Sabo_, were gone, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

But in its own way, the fire was beautiful. The shades of orange and yellow blended together perfectly, creating an alluring mix that threatened to draw a person in and consume them.

The blonde next to him grabbed his arm and pulled him up. Ace immediately began coughing as smoke entered his lungs. The blonde started making his way out of the house with Ace in tow. He jumped back as a burning beam crashed to the floor right before the him, blocking the path to the door.

"Shit!" he cursed. The man turned to go back, looking for a window. Once he located one within a reasonable distance of where they were standing he dragged Ace over to it. The blonde took off his shirt, wrapped the cloth around his arm, and tried opening the window. No use. It was stuck. He quickly turned to look for something he could use to smash the window open with. His eyes landed on a nearby chair that was still mostly intact. Without thinking, he grabbed it with both hands, lifted it, and threw it into the window. The glass shattered, and fresh air came rushing through. The blonde forced Ace to go through the broken window first, before following after him. He grit his teeth as he felt a ragged piece of glass slide through his forearm, creating a deep wound that would most likely scar.

They were lucky that they had been on the lowest floor of the building. The window wasn't that high from the ground, and he could jump down onto the grass without risking further injury. Ace was below him, not looking as if he was going to move anytime soon, so the blonde landed off to the side. He got up from his crouch, grabbed Ace's arm again, and pulled the younger boy as far away from the inferno as he could. Ace stumbled and fell behind him. He didn't get up anymore. The blonde crouched down net to him.

"Marco..." A strangled whimper made its way through Ace's throat.

"Shhh, Ace. It's okay now. I'm here. It's alright," the blonde responded. They could hear sirens blazing in the distance. "You're alright. It's fine," he repeated, trying to comfort his friend.

The younger boy sat up and turned around to look at his house. They both flinched as the structure collapsed. The neighbors were all gathered around, looking at the scene before them with horror.

Eventually, the fire truck came, and the firemen started to put out the fire. After them came the ambulance. The paramedics ran over to where he and Ace were sitting on the grass, coughing loudly. They tried to pull them away to the ambulance to administer treatment, but both men refused. Realizing that neither of them were planning on moving away from the spot anytime soon, one of the paramedics brought a first aid kit over to where they were. Ace's wounds, consisting of second degree burns, were first to be taken care of. After him came Marco, whose entire left side was soaked with blood and had minor burns all over his chest and arms.

Marco winced as the curved needle delved into his arm. The cut was so deep he needed stitches. He glanced at Ace, who still looked as if he was in a daze, and was staring openly at the now black house.

Once the paramedics had finished treating his injuries, he took out his phone and slid his finger over the screen to unlock it. He opened his message inbox and read through the first few messages. After seeing that they each contained more or less the same questions asking about what happened and if everything was alright, he started deleting them. When he was finished with that, he dialed his father's phone number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Oyaji. It's me," he answered.

"Marco? Are you and Ace alright? The fire's all over the news! What happened?!"

"You're guess is as good as mine, yoi. We're fine, though Ace is a little out of it," he replied, sweeping his eyes over the still form of his best friend.

"No wonder. Poor kid just saw his house burn down."

"Yeah..." He saw a police officer coming his way. "I'll call you back later, Oyaji."

"Sure Marco." He ended the call and put his phone away. It was a miracle it had survived the fire.

"I'm Sergeant Smoker. Can you please state your name?"

"I'm Marco Phoenix, a friend of Ace's." He gestured to the boy sitting on the grass beside him, still looking at the burned structure in disbelief. The officer looked at him with pity, then returned his gaze to Marco.

"Can you explain what happened here?"

"I have no idea, yoi. A few days ago, Ace called to invite me over to watch a soccer game, but when I got here a few minutes ago, the house was in flames. The neighbors were just standing there, but I couldn't find Ace anywhere so I went inside. I got the both of us out of there, and... well...," he broke off. The policeman nodded in understanding.

"So then I take it you don't know what might have caused the fire?"

"No. Not a clue. Ace had a fireplace in the house, though. Maybe the carpet caught fire or something."

"Maybe", Smoker said, but he didn't look convinced. "I'd like the two of you to come by the police station tomorrow so we can take your statements."

"Sure," Marco answered. "Now if you'll excuse me." Smoker nodded again and walked away. Once Marco got the crowd of people around them to disperse, he crouched down next to Ace and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, yoi. Let's get you out of here." Ace turned to face him with tears in his eyes.

"But what about Luffy? What'll happen when he comes back only to find this? I-I can't. I have t-to stay." Ace's breathing was growing more and more frenzied with each second that passed. Each breath he took was slow and shallow. He started hyperventilating.

"Ace? Ace! You need to calm down, yoi. It's going to be alright. Just calm down. Take deep breaths." Ace's eyesight was becoming cloudy, and his mind was shutting down, making it harder for him to focus.

Marco started shaking his shoulder.

"Ace! Concentrate on what I'm saying. Breath, yoi! Deep breaths." Ace listened to his friend, and gradually slowed his breathing. As his eyesight returned to him, he saw Marco sitting in front of him with both of his hands on his shoulder. Blood was seeping through the bandages on his arm. _What? When did he-_

"There you go. That's it, yoi. Just breathe like that. Don't worry. I'll call Luffy and tell him what happened. You can stay at my place for a while." Ace nodded, then moved to stand up. Marco followed.

"W-What happened to your arm?" he asked.

"Nothing. Don't take any notice of it. Now come on. I'll call a taxi. I don't think either of us are in any state to drive right now." He smiled at his friend.

Ace feebly smiled back. It would be okay. It.. it _had_ to be okay. Because Marco was here. Marco was here, and he would fix everything. "Yeah... It'll all be fine." His body lurched forward, as he felt a wave of sleepiness overcome him. He could faintly hear Marco sigh, and felt steady hands slip around his waist, before he lost consciousness.

* * *

**_Soo... I would appreciate it if you reviewed and told me your thoughts, and maybe some guesses as to what happened. And remember- I'm always open to advice._**


	2. It's Because of Me

_**Yo! I got the second chapter up. Hooray for me! Hope you enjoy :D**_

_**Guest: Mine, too ^^ I really wish there were more stories about the two of them...**_

* * *

When Ace woke up, he was lying on a bed. An unfamiliar bed. In an unfamiliar room. In a panic, he sat up in the bed, only for someone to put their hand on his chest and force him down again. He turned his head to see who the person was.

Relief washed over him at the sight of Marco, looking a little worse for wear, but still calm as ever.

"Don't move around so much. You're hurt, yoi," his friend said. Ace blinked at Marco wearily, before moving his eyes to look at the bandages covering most of his body. He looked up again.

"You're hurt, too. And you're moving around," he replied, annoyed.

"I heal fast." _**Suuure you do**_**. **Ace looked around the room. This wasn't the first time he had been in the blonde's house, but it was the first time he had seen his friend's bedroom. The walls and ceiling were painted a tropical blue, there was a carpet on the floor that had the color of the sand on a beach. There were two big windows on either side of the room, and the furniture was a very light shade of beige.

"What happened to your arm, anyway?" Ace asked out of curiosity. Marco smiled weakly.

"I cut it on a piece of glass when I was going through the window yesterday." Ace looked away, wracked by guilt. It was his fault Marco got hurt. All his fault. _**You'll never amount to anything, Ace.**_

"Wait... yesterday? What time is it?" He asked. Marco glanced at a clock hanging on a nearby wall.

"Almost 10 AM." Ace's eyes widened in shock.

"I was supposed to pick Luffy up at the airport an hour ago!" He panicked. His poor little brother. He didn't know anything. And Ace didn't know how he would break it to him that their home was gone. _**And whose fault is that?**_

"Calm down, yoi. I called him yesterday after I got here, and asked him if he could catch another plane at a later time, hopefully tomorrow." _**Oh thank **__God__**...Luffy can't be here now... **_"You need to get your crap together before he gets here, though. You don't look so good."

"No shit. My house just burned down, asshole," Ace retorted.

"At least you're not as out of it as you were yesterday. That's good." Marco smiled in relief.

"I figured I should stop sulking and find something better to do." _**Or put on a mask in front of you so that you can't see how torn up I really am.**_"Being depressed won't get me anywhere, and it'll get me there fast." He cracked a smile. Marco snorted.

"Glad to see you're feeling better. Now, what do you want for breakfast?" Ace gasped dramatically.

"M-Marco... you can cook?!" He exclaimed. The blonde rolled his eyes.

"Just go take a shower. Mind your injuries, though. And make sure you're downstairs in half an hour, or I'll eat your food."

"Yes, mom." The blonde glared at him playfully and left the room.

Once the door closed shut, Ace let the smile drop away from his face. He slowly got up from the bed, wincing as he aggravated his wounds. He stood up unsteadily, trying to ignore the burning pain wracking his body, and looked around the room. His eyes landed on a towel and some clothes._**Marco must've left them...**_

Keeping one hand slightly in front of him in case he fell, he slowly made his way over to the desk on which they lay. Ace picked them up, and went to the bathroom.

Once there, he put the towel and clothes down on a counter, next to a roll of plastic wrap, what looked like burn ointment, and some bandages, and slipped out of his shirt. He stared at the soiled bandages for a bit, before moving to unwrap them. Once the last of them dropped to the floor, Ace was left looking at bruised and blister-covered skin. He bit his lip. _**Those are going to scar... **_

He took off the rest of his clothes, before grabbing the roll of plastic wrap, and looking at it in confusion.

"Marco!" He yelled.

"Yeah?" Ace's eyes landed on the door. He could hear footsteps approaching.

"What's the plastic wrap for?" He asked. If Marco put it there, then it was meant to be used for something. He just didn't know what. Yet...

"You're supposed to wrap that around the burns so they don't get wet when you take your shower." Ace raised his eyebrows, before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist.

"I feel kinda stupid asking this, but... can you help me? I can't reach that far." _**Well, I could if I wanted the blisters in my arms to pop from strain. Yeah... no. **_

"Sure. Is it alright if I come in now?" His friend asked.

"Yeah."_**Pleasepleasepleasedon'tnoticethebruises!**_The doorknob turned, and the door opened. Marco entered the bathroom. His gaze swept over the battered body of his best friend, before landing on a very big, dark purple mark over his ribs.

"Ace...," he started, staring at his friend's chest with horror apparent on his face. He turned his head to look into Ace's eyes.

"Hm?" Ace asked, avoiding eye contact. Marco took a few steps forwards, grabbed Ace's chin with his index finger and thumb, pulling his face up, and forced their gazes to meet..

"You promised me you would stop getting into fights," he said in a low voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I fell down the sta-," Ace started, but was cut off by his friend.

"Damn it, Ace! Who do you think you're talking to? You can't lie to me! How did you get these?!" He demanded. Ace's temper flared.

"It's none of your fucking business what I do! Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?!" He snapped.

"How the fuck am I supposed to leave you alone when you keep acting like a spoiled kid?!" Ace froze for a second, before turning away from the blonde to hide the hurt on his face, and handing him the roll of plastic wrap.

_**Is that all I am in your eyes? A kid?**_

* * *

Marco was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast, when the doorbell rang. He ignored it. It rang again. And again. And again, for longer this time. He scowled and walked up to the door, before unlocking and opening it to let his guest in.

"Marco, buddy! So good to see you!" Thatch. _Of course _it had to be Thatch. "How are you doing? Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? Oh, stupid question! Of course you're hurt! But not too badly, I hope? Where's Ace? Is he alright? I'm guessing he's in worse shape then you. Can I see him? Sho-" A glare from Marco effectively shut him up.

"Ace is taking a shower. He'll be joining us in a few minutes. Want breakfast?" Thatch had opened his mouth again, when Marco growled, " _Yes_, I can cook." He stepped aside so that his friend could walk into the living room, before he closed and locked the door once more. When he looked back, Thatch was already sitting on the couch, with his shoes off and his feet propped up on the coffee table, looking at the TV he had just turned on. Marco decided to ignore his behavior, and instead went back to the kitchen to finish cooking.

The bacon was sizzling in the frying pan. Marco took three plates out of the cupboard, grabbed the pan, and divided the bacon up between the three of them. Next, he grabbed a few eggs, broke the shells, and put them in the frying pan. He put the bread in the toaster and waited. A few minutes later, the meal was ready. He took all three plates, balancing them in his hands, and made his way to the living room.

Ace was already there, talking animatedly with Thatch about a rock band that was supposed to be coming to the city in a week or so.

"-got three tickets to their concert. You and Marco are coming with me, whether you like it or not." The plates clattering against the coffee table directed their attention to Marco, who was already on his way back to the kitchen to get the silverware, glasses, and a carton of orange juice. When he came back once more, both of his friends were looking at him in silence.

Ace had wrapped bandages around his arms and legs, and Marco could detect the faint smell of ointment in the air, but he doubted Ace had bandaged his torso. He was wearing one of Marco's smaller button up shirts, and knee-length shorts. He could feel Ace's gaze on him as he sat down on the floor, opposite of him and Thatch. They ate in silence.

* * *

"I think I'll go get some more rest. I don't want my narcolepsy to kick in when I go pick Luffy up tomorrow," Ace laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sure. I guess Marco and I'll just... talk," Thatch replied, while Marco nodded his head once in acknowledgement.

"Yeah. It was great seeing you Thatch." He smiled.

"You too," his friend replied, with a smile of his own spreading across his face.

Ace left the room. Once he was gone, Thatch turned to look at Marco with the most serious expression Marco had ever seen on his face.

"We need to talk about Ace." Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Can you be at least a little bit more specific?" Thatch was quiet for a moment, chewing on his lip, as if debating whether or not he should say anything.

"Go on. Once you start talking, don't stop just like that. What is it?" Marco urged.

"... I saw him hanging around with Teach's gang a few times." Marco choked on the juice he was drinking.

"You what?!" He nearly shouted.

"Keep your voice down, will ya? I don't want him to hear us," his friend replied.

"What the hell was he doing around them, though? Ace is smarter than that, doesn't he know that they're bad news?" Thatch shook his head in sadness.

"I have no idea why he'd be hanging around with them. In fact, I doubt that his house burning down was an accident. Have you noticed anything weird about him recently?" He inquired.

"... I think he's been fighting again, yoi. I saw the bruises covering his body." Thatch nodded his head in understanding.

"Underground boxing?" Marco shook his head. He could see the relief on Thatch's face.

"I don't think so. He promised me that it would stop. I don't think he would break a promise like that." Thatch sighed.

"Try talking to him when he wakes up, okay? Just be delicate." Marco nodded his head absently. Suddenly, he smacked his palm against his forehead.

"Shit! We were supposed to go to the police station today!" Thatch looked at him oddly.

"It's not like you to forget something that important. Are you sure you're alright, Marco?" He asked, worry lacing his voice.

"Oh, for Oda's sake, Thatch! I'm fine, yoi!" Marco yelled.

"Hey, now. Calm down. I was just making sure. Why not try calling he police and asking them if you could come some other time? I'm sure they'll understand," Thatch said, trying to cheer him up.

"Hopefully... And there's still that whole thing with the house insura-" The phone ringing cut Marco off. He stood up, and turned to look in the direction where the sound was coming from.

"...If you aren't going to pick that up, then I will," Thatch said. Muttering under his breath, Marco made his way to the phone.

"Yeah?" He asked, putting the receiver to his ear.

"Marco Phoenix?" Came a voice from the other end of the line. Marco scrunched his eyebrows. He knew that voice...

"That's me. How can I help you, yoi?"

"It's Sergeant Smoker. We need to talk. It's about the fire." Marco's eyebrow traveled up his forehead.

"Do you know anything yet?" He inquired. Smoker didn't answer him for a few seconds.

"It was arson. It seems like someone was trying to burn down the house with Portgas inside."

* * *

_**(Not so) Unexpected turn of events! Short chapter is short... sorry... At least it's still over 2,000 words long :D**_


	3. Of Nightmares and Revelations

_**Yo! Sorry for not updating sooner... I'm verrry bad at sticking to deadlines. But hey, I **_**did**_** update. That's gotta count for something, right?**_

* * *

"Oi! Ace!"

Someone was calling him. The voice was so familiar... but who was it? Ace couldn't turn around. His body wouldn't listen to him. His head wouldn't move. He couldn't blink.

Someone came up to him. Blond hair. Blue eyes. A missing tooth. Ace was in a park, sitting on a bench, looking at the birds flying through the air.

_S-Sabo? No it can't be...Y-you're not..._

He was smiling, and had his top hat on his head. Sabo opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly, the scene did a 180. The warm light, that had been filtering through the canopy overhead went dark as night. The smells of ice cream coming from a nearby stand developed a metallic tinge. And Sabo wasn't smiling anymore. He was looking at something behind Ace.

And then, Ace could move. And he did. Because he knew what would happen. He'd seen this scene play out many, _many _times before. He stood to run. To get away. Anywhere. He didn't want to have to see this again. Not Sabo lying dead on the ground. Dead.

Dead. Gonegonegone. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. So he ran. He ran away to hide.

Suddenly, a man appeared before him. He was holding a gun. At Ace's chest. His finger was on the trigger, and his hand was steady. Ace stopped where he was. The man pulled the trigger.

_**Bang**_

The bullet was in front of him. And then it wasn't. It was _in _him, _through him_, and _behind him _before he could so much as blink.

_Don't! Just keep running! Whatever you do, don't turn around!_

Wide-eyed, Ace slowly did the exact opposite of what his mind told him to do.

Sabo was lying on the ground, and there a sixteen year old Ace pressing a cloth to his chest. A cloth that was becoming more and more stained with red by the second.

_Ace, turn away. Don't go through it again... _But Ace couldn't. He stood there, watching, as the Sabo whispered something to the younger him with his dying breath, watched as the life fled from his eyes, watched the pavement get more and more red with each passing second.

Then, all of a sudden, Sabo stood up and started walking towards him. But he wasn't _Sabo _anymore. His arms turned long, his body grew taller, and every step he took left huge puddles of blood blossoming on the pavement. Ace started backing away. Sabo grinned. It was a feral expression. His teeth were stained red with the life fluid escaping his body through his mouth, and the rest of his face, except for the streams of blood that escaped his mouth and dribbled down his chin, was pale.

Ace turned to run, but the moment he was facing the opposite direction, he found that he was, once again, rooted in place. In front of him stood a woman. Her strawberry-blond hair covered her eyes, and she was wearing a light blue summer dress. She tipped her head back to look at Ace with dead green eyes, revealing a zipper on her neck. She reached one pale, bony hand up, and stated to unzip it. A waterfall of blood cascaded down her neck and chest, soaking into the material of the dress. Like Sabo, she also smiled dangerously.

"This is all your fault, Ace...," she started.

"If only you hadn't been here, none of this would have happened," Sabo finished.

"If you hadn't been born, there would have been no one looking for you."

She took a step forward.

"There would have been no one looking to kill you."

Sabo took a step forward.

"We'd both still be alive. You shouldn't exist, Ace. Your whole life is a sin. One. Big. Sin. Anyone you get close to ends up hurt. Just look at me." Ace closed his eyes. "I said _**look at me**_!" Reluctantly, he opened them again. "I tried to protect you! To protect my worthless son! And this is what I got in return?! You're a disappointment. Go and die already." Ace seemed to shrink. Or did everything around him suddenly grow taller?

"I shouldn't have pushed you out of the way and taken that bullet for you. The only thing I regret is not killing you when I had the chance." Sabo's eyes glinted dangerously. He moved one clawed hand to his pocket and pulled out a dagger. Ace watched as he brought it up, high over and behind his head. Then, he heard the whiz of the air as the blade was brought down.

Ace didn't feel the dagger enter him. He looked down to see it embedded neatly up to the hilt right in his heart. He looked up at Sabo's face with disbelief and fear. Then he started coughing. He raised his hands to his mouth, and pulled them away a second later, surprised to see them coated with blood.

"Savour your life, Ace... You haven't got much of it left..."

Ace collapsed to his knees. He put his hands on the pavement to keep from collapsing entirely, and continued coughing. He felt dizzy, and his strength was quickly draining away. He collapsed to the ground, staring at the surroundings with his rapidly fading vision. He blinked.

And his eyes refocused as they landed on a nearby armchair. Ace looked around in a panic, realizing he was lying in a bed.

_Thank God... It was just a dream..._

He raised his hands to eye level, not surprised to find they were shaking. He sat up, pulled his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them tightly, trying to slow his rapid breathing. He let out a strangled sound when he recalled his nightmare.

His shirt was wet with sweat, the sheets were tousled, and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. He shut his eyes tightly, willing the memories to go away.

After a few minutes of trying to calm down, he finally regained enough sense to notice the shadow on the other side of the room. Ace scrambled to turn on the small reading lamp on the bedside table. He looked back at the figure in the corner of the room, and his shoulders sagged with relief when he found it was Marco.

He was looking at Ace guardedly, not moving from his spot by even an inch to go and comfort his friend. Instead, he opted to just stand there and watch as Ace tried to calm his frenzied breathing and the shaking of his body. After a while, the younger boy spoke.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He reached a hand to his face, not at all surprised to find it wet with tears. Both were silent for a short while.

"Sergeant Smoker called." Ace glanced at his friend. It didn't escape his notice theat Marco was still looking at him with a coldness that he had never seen in the older man's bright blue eyes.

"He said someone tried to kill you."

* * *

_"More, than that, we have reason to believe that it was a homicide attempt."_

_"You've got to be kidding me, yoi! That's impossible! There's got to be a misunderstanding!" Marco yelled to the phone._

_"I'm sorry, but the facts doesn't lie. We found fire accelerant at the crime scene, and what's more, there were large amounts of flunitrazepam in Portgas' blood." Marco scowled._

_"And how did you get Ace's blood, pray tell. Last I checked, it's against the law to take someone's blood without their consent. Just what in hell did you think you were doing, yoi?!"_

_"Portgas D Ace is still underage, and seeing as we weren't able to contact his legal guardian, we did what we though was best for him," Smoker explained._

_"Bullshit! You just didn't want to in any way jeopardize the investigation, yoi!" Smoker sighed._

_"Ok, so I admit, it wasn't entirely legal. But what would you do in our situation? It's not like the brat protested." Marco took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down._

_"How. Was. He. Supposed. To. Protest. When he could barely comprehend what was going on around him?"_

_"Look, I really did what I had to. Statistics show that over 50% of the supposed victims of arsons are really the arsonists themselves.* If there was alcohol or something similar in Portgas' blood, we would have proof that he might be the person who started the fire, and therefore put him away for good before he hurt anyone else." Marco kept quiet throughout the Sergeant's speech._

_"Wait, what did you say Ace had in his bloodstream? Flunitrazepam?" The blonde asked Smoker._

_"Yes," the other answered._

_"...Isn't that the date rape drug?" Marco furrowed his eyebrows. "You said large amounts. How large?"_

_After a moment of silence, Smoker spoke._

_"Amounts that should have left him in a coma." Marco stayed quiet, trying to take in what the Sergeant had just said. "I advise you take him to the hospital and get him to do some tests as fast as possible. It's impossible that there was no damage done to his organs. Portgas' health might be in danger. I would also like you to give me a copy of the results when you come in to give your statements. I think that's all."_

_"Hang, on a second! You said someone was trying to-" Marco broke off and swallowed audibly, "-to murder Ace. Do you have any idea who it might have been?"_

_"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to tell you any more. Oh, and before I forget, Portgas' motorcycle was salvaged from the fire. It was standing a ways away from the house. You can take it back with you when you come in for questioning._

* * *

"I've had the past few hours to think about what Smoker said, and about why the drug wouldn't work on you. And I came to a conclusion. Drugs aren't as effective on a person who's used to them, Ace." Ace dropped his gaze to the floor, trying to look anywhere but at Marco.

"I forgot you went to a medical school, Marco." A pained smile spread across his face.

"Ace... why did you take drugs?" Ace closed his eyes and stayed silent. He heard footsteps coming his way, and felt Marco sit down beside him on the bed. Two fingers grabbed his chin and forced his head up. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes again. Warm liquid flowed into them, and he blinked rapidly to keep fresh tears from falling.

Marco looked into the eyes of the boy in front of him, pretending not to notice the tears welling up in his eyes. Instead, he kept talking.

"Why would you do something like that, Ace? You know what drugs do to a person... how could you? What could be a good enough reason to get you to start taking them?"

He watched Ace swallow and close his eyes again. Marco waited patiently for him to say something.

"You remember last year, when you found out I was taking part in the underground fights?" Ace started. Marco nodded, wincing as the memories of that day flowed into his mind with a clarity as if it had happened only hours before.

* * *

_Marco walked over to door as soon as he heard the doorbell ring. As soon as he unlocked it, someone toppled to the ground. He reached an arm out to grab that person before they could hit the floor. Closer inspection proved the person to be Ace. His previously yellow shirt was deep red in places, and his clothes were all torn up._

_"Ace?" He asked, after a moment of silence. The boy he was holding grunted in confirmation. Marco furrowed his eyebrows. He carefully put an arm around his friend's shoulders, and helped him inside the small apartment. Once inside, he gently put him down on the couch._

_"Are you alright? What happened? Do you want me to call an ambulance?" He asked. More questions came to his mind, but he closed his mouth before he could voice them, seeing Ace struggle to say something._

_"'M fine. Justa scratch. Nothin' big. Fell down th' stairs 'nd landed on s'thing sharp." The moment he said he was fine, Marco was pushing the shirt off Ace's shoulders. He grimaced when he noticed that the blood had already started drying, and the shirt was stuck to Ace's injuries. He pretended not to hear Ace hiss in pain every time one of his wounds was aggravated, and instead focused all of his attention on trying to get rid of the cloth._

_Once he had finally managed to pry away the shirt, he went to the bathroom to grab a first-aid kit. When he returned, he found Ace struggling to sit up. He ran up to him to help, knowing it would be futile to tell him to stop moving around. He silently examined the younger boy's chest. It was covered in lacerations and bruises._

_"I call bullshit. What the hell happened to you?" Ace refused to answer, so Marco went to tend to the injuries. He stared by cleaning off the blood surrounding the damaged flesh. Ignoring the pained sounds Ace was making, he continued his job. Cleaning off the blood didn't help much, seeing as more came flowing through the still open lacerations, so he grabbed a curved needle and some thread from the kit._

_About half an hour later, when he was done tending to the younger boy's injuries, he repeated his previous question. Ace kept silent, unable to look his friend in the eyes._

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you got into a fight." He saw Ace flinch slightly._

_"You have got to be kidding me, yoi..." At least it explained why Ace came to him instead of going to a hospital. "What's gotten into you lately? You can at least tell me what happened, can't you? Were you attacked or something?"_

_"No... it was kinda... different..." The younger boy mumbled under his breath. Marco narrowed his eyes._

_"Ace... what happened? Can't you see I'm trying to help you." The look his friend gave him was heartbreaking._

_"What if you can't help me? What if it's already too late to do anything about anything?" Marco frowned._

_"Ace..." He started. The younger boy didn't let him finish. He lifted his head to look Marco in the eyes._

_His eyes were filled with a kind of darkness Marco had never seen before. A darkness born of desperation, fear, and pain._

_"You were right, Marco. I didn't fall down the stairs." Everything in him was telling him to hurry Ace along, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he waited quietly while Ace took in a deep and shaky breath._

_"I-," he broke off. "I got... It was..." Another deep breath. "I've been taking part in underground fights for the better part of a month now..." Ace bit his lip so hard it bled. The red liquid trickled down his chin._

_"Ace... you..." Marco's eyes were full of fury and concern. "Why?" Ace didn't answer. Marco ran his hand through his hair. He saw Ace's eyes dart around the room in a panic. He sighed._

_"Alright... if you don't want to tell me, then don't. Just promise me you'll stop. Please. I can't stand to see you hurt like this." Ace nodded curtly._

_"I promise." Relief flooded through Marco's veins, and he cracked a smile._

* * *

"Well.. I... It..." Ace shivered underneath the blankets.

"I needed the money. And fast. They told me that it was quick cash..." Marco stayed quiet as he watched his friend struggle with what he wanted to say.

"I- I had to pay off my debts... Drugs aren't... cheap... And I lost my part-time job just days before, so I basically had no source of income other than what Gramps sent me and Luffy every month... S-so I had to pay them off somehow... A-and I started fighting. I was good at it, Marco. I earned a lot, enough to pay them off, and still have a bit left over... B-but then you told me I had to stop... A-and I promised that I would..." Talking seemed to be getting harder and harder, but Ace didn't stop the words from flowing from his mouth. "I-I needed those drugs, Marco... I couldn't cope without them... They helped me forget..."

"Forget what, Ace?" Marco pried. A lot of pieces were missing, and Ace's replies were so cryptic, his head was becoming more and more of a jumbled mess as time went on. His focus returned to Ace once again the moment he felt something warm land on his hand. Ace jerked his head out of his grip and tried to hide his tears.

"My best friend's death. My _brother's _death. I-It was all my fault. S-Sabo died because of me." He couldn't hide the tears any longer. They landed on the his shirt, soaking into the fabric within moments and leaving more wet stains. Throughout all of this, Marco stayed silent.

Then slowly, he reached out his arms and embraced the younger boy.

* * *

**_*Made up statistics are made up_**

**_I'm sorry if it's not all that realistic or anything, and if it's confusing, but hey! At least you understand how Marco feels :) Currently, he doesn't understand much more than you, my dear readers._**

**_No promises as to when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try to post it within a month? Hopefully?_**


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